Steam-turbine.



T. RIGBY.

STEAM TURBINE.

MPLIGATION HLED JUNE 2s, m34

L1 1 7,909, Patented Nov, 17, 1914.

i., wma i ATTORNEYS lllillTED STATES PATENT OFFCE,

THOMAS RIGBY, OF DUMFRIES, SCOTLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO NILS TESTRUP,

STEAM-TURBINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 17,1914.

Application led June 25, 1913. Serial No. 775.78013.

le it knoivn that l, 'li-iouas Ricr, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at Kelten House, Dum fries, Scot-land, have. invented certain new Vand useful Improvements in and Relating -to Steani-l'higines or Steam-Turbmes, of

which the following is a specification.

rThis invention 'relates to steam power installations and has for its object to enable economies to be etfected in the operation thereof by the employment in a particular manner in heating devices of steam which yhas already performed Work in the prime the steam is generated in a steam boiler a by the combustion of a fuel in a combustion chamber or furnace b. On opening a controlling valve c steam passes from the boiler to the main steam pipe d 'and from thence on opening a valve e it is admit-ted to the prime mover f which in the case illustrated is a steam turbine. After having performed worl: in the high pressure stage or stages 5/ ofthe turbine, some of the steam is taken through a pipe it to a heater through the tubes m of which there passes air which fioivs through the duct n to the combustion chamber 7) of lthe steam boiler a., so that the air necessary for combustion of the fuel in the chamber Z1 is preheated by condensation of steam in the heater ic. The remainder of the steam not thus utilized passes through the louy pressure stages p of the turbine ,f Where it is caused to perform further work, and is thereafter exhausted through a conduit Q into a condenser r. From the latter the condensate is taken by a pipe .s along with that coming from the heater /t by a. pipe t to a single' pipe u leading to an injector' i.' by Which all the condensate 1s returned to the boiler a.

. By thus heating the air by the condensation of an appropriate proportion of the exhaust steam not only is heat imparted to the air, but by returning the hot condensate to the steam generator a large amount ofv heat is saved, with result that the portion of the power' represented more or less by the-proportion ofthe whole of the steam which is passed to the heater, is generated with extremely hivh heat efficiency, such that the economy orf the plant as a whole is V'erv materially increased. I'

The ten'iperature to which the air is heated will depend upon the pressure at which the steam is allowed to pass .to theheater,

and likewise the heat economv obtained, but in order to maintain as highl as possible the amount of hot condensate available for returning to the boiler it is preferable to employ saturated steam, as in this way 1ubricants, and consequently their removal from the condensates, can in most cases be avoided. A further advantage obtained by thus heating the air for the steam generator 1s that the feed water may be heated by the flue gases in the Well-known manner tihich has proved itself so eflicient in the past, this economy being in addition to that which results from effecting combustion int the steam generator furnace at an increased temperature which causes an increased boiler output and efficiency. i

Ha ving nondescribed my invention, what I claim asnew and desire to secure by Letters APatent is l 1. A method of economizing heat in steam power installations consisting in generating steam from heat produced by combustion, causlng said steamv to perform useful Work by a reduction of its pressure, then utilizing part of the steam of reduced pressure to heat one of the elements used in said combustion, a'nd the other part of the steam in performing further useful Work.f

' 2. A method of economizingheat in steam power installations, consisting in generating steam from heat obtained by combustion of a. fuel, causing said steam to perform useful work by a reduction of its pressure then utilizing part of the steam of reduced pressure to heat the air for combustion of vsaid fuel, and the other part of the steam in performing further useful Work.

Il. A steam power installation comprising in combination a steam generator heated by combustion of a fuel, a high and a low pressure prime mover and means for heating the air for the combustion of said fuel, said mea-ns being heated by steam" exhausted vfrom the high pressure prime mover.

. 4. A steam power installation comprising in combination a steam generator heated by combustion of a fuel, a high pressure prime y mover receiving steam from said generator,

means for heating the. air necessary forpombustion of said fuel, sald means belng heated by steam exhausted from the prime mover, :nd a 10W pressure prime mover in 'which the steam not required in the heating means is caused to perform further Work;

5. A steam power installation comprising in combination a steam generator heated by combustion of a fuel, avhigh pressure prime mover receiving steam from said generator,

'-means for heating 'the air necessary for combustion of said fuel, said means being heated by steam exhausted from the prime i v mover, a 10W pressure prime mover in which the steam not requlred 1n the heating means is caused to perform further. Work, and means for returning to the steam generator Larmes thereto by Way of said heater, and a condenser to which the remainder of the steam after having passed through the lower pressure stages of the tlnbine is delivered.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name tothis specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THGMAS RIGBY.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. JOHNSTON, ANDREW B. SKILHNG. 

